Company description

Big Picture Farm is a goat dairy, creamery and farmstead confectionery located on a beautiful hillside in Townshend, Vermont.  Our approximately 5​0 saanens, alpines and nubian goats live happy and healthy lives rotating through the rich pastures and leafy woodlands that characterize our hillside Vermont farm. We are animal welfare approved and our farm and business are now 100% solar powered. Additionally, we ​h​ave transform​e​d our packaging line to 100% recyclable/compostable and zero virgin plastics. Most of the milk from our herd of goats is transformed into our award winning goat milk caramels and chocolates - which are sold to over 1200 stores around the country. The rest of our milk goes into very small batches of raw milk cheese and other chocolates and confections. In addition to our goats we keep 30 or so laying hens,​ a gaggle of barn cats, two livestock guardian dogs, and tend an active flower & vegetable garden, and have a fledgling fruit orchard. We use our own eggs, honey, flowers and fruit in our confections as well. We also run a 9 bedroom farmhouse which we rent out for retreats, reunions, weddings and host on farm agri-tourism style programming. In addition we have two smaller airbnbs for farm visitors.  

Job description

Big Picture Farm is looking for a 202​5 Hybrid Farmer starting ​e​arly April 2025, and staying for a minimum of one year​ (most end up staying longer than that). An entry-level position, this character fills a vital role on our farm as a kind of Renaissance farm-hand/goat milker/caramel packer/nanny/agritourism host/airbnb flipper/all-star person. You will be tasked with learning almost all of the varieties of jobs that exist on the farm. You will milk goats, tend the gardens, greet the airbnb guests, pack caramels, host goat hangouts, and potentially help look after our two young girls. A typical week might include: three to four morning of goat milkings and farm chores. In the first few months it is very farm heavy as our herd of goats is due to kid ​M​id-April, so there are lots of baby goats to be fed and goats trained to the milking parlor. In the summer there is pasture work in between helping flip airbnbs and working in the garden. In the fourth quarter there is work in our shop packing caramels for holiday sales.  Helping pick up our kids from school is also a task. For the right person it might also include work in the creamery helping make caramel and chocolates. 

Who are we? We are ​e​ntering our 15th year as a farm and as a business. We have a dedicated and mighty - but tiny - staff that you will be working with in all the various spheres. And with that, the hours vary as the nature of the job flows in and out of seasons and our kids go in and out of school.  Working weekends is required though. Our caramel sales are top heavy in the fall so that is heavy on caramel packing. The summer months are filled with pasture work, making caramel, milking and working in the garden and on the homesteading elements of our farm. 

A portion of this job is also watching our two girls and driving them around (in our car) from school to home in the late afternoon as we have a long commute. They are ​5 and ​8 years old and love being outside, art, cooking, imaginary worlds, and of course all of their animals.

The nature of this position is diverse and will yield much knowledge in every realm of the farm and business. Therefore someone with a positive attitude is paramount, as well as someone who is flexible and enjoys the hybrid nature of farm-life. Other than a big heart, open attitude, solid work ethic and love for children no experience is required. We welcome all to apply.

This is a paid position, 40 hours a week. Housing is provided on the farm in a bright and well appointed tiny house ​or apartment overlooking fields and mountains.  As we live very rurally, having reliable transportation is key.  We are hoping to find someone that can start Mid April and make a year long commitment. Due to the nature of the position - being able to lift 50 lbs and being comfortable with long days on your feet is required. 

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

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Deadline

no deadline